Yes, Badger, I couldn't agree more with you about getting a new pH meter, but, believe it or not, they're not available where I live. The obvious solution would seem to be to order one online and get it posted, but there are reasons why I can't do that, either. In short, I haven't got a (reliable) pH meter, but I'll probably get one when I go back to the UK in a couple of weeks. (Too late!) Any suggestions you might like to make about which one and where to get it would be greatly appreciated.
There is actually one more thing I can do (and probably should have done already - certainly before starting these posts): I'll go (right now - as soon as I've finished this) and get a soil sample from the next site just to see what my meter says about it. The thing is, though, this damn meter has been used in a dozen or so soils and never given any reading except pH 6.5, which is why I've assumed it doesn't work. I suppose it's possible there was no pH discrepancy in any of the soils I'd tried to test, although that seems highly unlikely to me. Still, if I get a reading of anything other than pH 6.5 with this soil, I'll know I'd misjudged it and take its reading into account.
Otherwise, I think I'll just follow the directions on the bag and add 1kg to the soil mix going back into the 1m square by 1m deep hole. According to the instructions, that should raise pH by about 1/2 a unit. It seems highly unlikely to me the soil under the pine trees is any more than pH 6 and even if it is 6.5 another half a unit should be about right. If it's 5.5, 1/2 a unit would be essential and if it's any less than that, I'm fucked whatever I do (unless I bung a couple of kilos in).
What I'll probably do, which is what I always try to do in situations like these, is get there on the day, have a look and think about it, sit down on the ground, spark up a joint and let it come to me.
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beautiful pic's bro,i love those kashmir plants.
